Acid-strength-maintaining apparatus



March 9 1926. 1,576,001

F. H. QLDEN ACID STRENGTH MAINTAINING APPARATUS Filed August 1, 1924 4Sheets-Sheet 1 STORAGE TANK WW3: 1 KW -March 9 1926. I 1,576,001

' F. H. OLDEN [ACID STRENGTH MAINTAINING APPARATUS Fil ed August 1, 19244 Sheets-Sheet 2 M W m a m w M m, .N/ FIGJ PEI; +294 ZUMKQ V I PIG: nub0 mm mm i N b m N n m I I %N I n1. fi m F. H. OLDEN AC ID STRENGTHMAINTAINING APPARATUS.

4 Sheet-Sheet 5 Filed August 1 1924 gvmbv nfoz Em A. Olden Bil. attoznuqMarch 9 1926. 1,576,001

F. H. OLDEN ACID STRENGTH MAINTAINING APPARATUS Filed August 1 1924 4Sheets- Sheet 4 Patented Mar, .9, 1926 l JNlTED I STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

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ncIn-srnnnern-mmumme APPARATUS.

Application filed Au -um, 1924. Serial No. 729,441.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, FRANK H. Oman, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chester, in, the county of Delaware and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Acid-Strength-Maintaining Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

In mercerizing cotton yarn, the yarn is immersed in a caustic solutionthen washed in an acid solution to neutralize the caustic. To get thebest results the acid solution in the mercerizing vats must bemaintained at a practically'constant strength. Sulphuric acid isgenerally used. Neutralization reduces the strength of the acidsolution. and, as the work proceeds, more acid must be introduced. Underthe usual practice, constant, careful and intelligent attention hasbeen'required and, even with the utmost care, the results have beenunsatisfactory.

.ends which will be described hereinafter, I

attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing mercerizingapparatus embodying my invention,

Figure 2 a like view showing the electrical connections and signalingmechanism,

Figure 3 a sectional view of the recording and actuating mechanism,

Figure 4 an end elevation of the same looking toward the left of Figure3 showing one active position of the mechanism,

Figure 5 a like View showing another active position of the mechanism,

Figure 6 a side elevation of part of the actuating mechanism, and

Figure 7 a vertical longitudinal section of the feed controlling valve.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a storage tank for acid, 2 apipe leading therefrom to a feed-controlling valve 3', 4 an overflowpipe leading therefrom to a mixing tank, or well 5, 6 a pipe leadingfrom the mixing tank to a circulating pump 7, 8 a pipe leading from thecirculating pump to a mercerizing vat 9 and discharging near the bottomof the tank, 10 an overflow pipe leading from the upper part of themercerizing vat into the mixing tank, 11 a pipe leading into the mixingtank through which air is driven under pressure to agitate the contentsof the tank, 12 a conductivity cell in. the mixing tank, 13 and 14 leadsfrom the conductivity cell to an acid strength controlling and recordingmechanism and, 1.5 and 16 leads from the controlling andrecordingmechanism to the acid feed-controlling valve.

The controlling mechanism is actuated by a shaft 17 (see Figures 3 and6) to which an intermittent rocking motion is imparted I through theagency of a member, movable in response to a change, such as agalvanometer needle. the shaft may be of the well known ty manufacturedby the Leeds & Northrup o. of Philadelphia, Pa., under Letters Patent ofthe United States, No. 965,824, granted M. E. Leeds, July 26, 1910 forrecorder. To this 'shaftis fixed a member 18 of insulating material suchas fibre, and preferably of disk form which co-operates with a disk 19,of like material, loosely mounted on the same shaft. Member 18 isprovided with opposed lugs 20 adapted to engage pins 21, projecting fromdisk '19, and thereby impart a limited motion upon its axis to disk 19.The disk carries on its outer face segmental plates 22 and 23, ofelectrically conducting material separated by air gaps 24 and 25, thelatter being the wider and preferably adjustable as indicated at 26. Anelectrically conducting arm 27, mounted upon a stationary part of theframe, carries a contactmember 28 which engages with the periphery ofdisk 19. In its idle or neutral position this contact member engageswith thatpart of the disk which includes the air gap 25 as indicated in'Figure 2. As the acid solution in the system falls below the requiredstrength, the conductivity cell in co-operation with the con- Themechanism which actuates trolling mechanism imparts motion to rock shaft17 and fixed member 18 which in turn imparts a partial rotation inclockwise direction to disk 19 thereby bringing contact member 28 intocontact with segmental plate 22 which is in electrical connection withthe acid feed-controlling valve, the arrangement being such that thevalve is opened when the circuit is closed. When the strength of theacid in the mixing tank exceeds a predetermined limit the direction ofmovement of shaft 17 is reversed and a partial rotation incontraclockwise direction, imparted to disk 19, thereby freeing contactmember 28 from engagement with plate 22, breaking the circuit andclosing the feed valve.

Lugs 20 are spaced a greater distance apart than pins 21 and theadjustment is such that when a contact is broken one of the lugs onmember 18 will continue-to actuate. disk 19 until the segmental plate issufiiciently removed from contact member 28 to prevent sparking and,when member 18 rocks in the reverse direction, its other lug 20 will notengage the corresponding pin' before 'disk 19 begins to move in onedirec-- tion, and strengthens somewhat above the reuired degree beforethe movement of the disk is reversed, but the slight deficiency orexcess of stren th need not be sufficient to have any practical efi'ectupon the mercerizing process.

The inflow of acid to the mixlngtank 5 is'regulated by a valve 29connected by a link 30 with a lever31- which is connected with anarmature 32 of a solenoid switch 33. Lever 31 carries a counterweight 34slidable thereon which is adapted to counterbalance the pressure of theacid coming in from the storage tank and thereby permit the valve to beactuated by a minimum of power. 35

indicates a second solenoid switch and 36 its armature. 37 indicates agreen light, 38 a white light, 39 a red light and 40 an audible signalsuch as a bell.

An electric circuit 1 leads from a genera tor, not shown, through arm27, segment plate 22 and green light 37 to the generator. A shuntcircuit 2 leads through solenoid switch coil 35 and actuates itsarmature 36 i to close a circuit 3, of higher voltage, lead ing throughsolenoid switch coil 33 and adapted to actuate armature 32 too en valve29. A circuit 4 leads through white light 38. and is closed whenarmatures 32 and 36 are released.

If, for any reason, the mechanism fails to function properly, themovement of disk 19 in either direction will continue until contactmember 28 engages segmental plate 23 when an alarm circuit 5,, includingbell 40 and red light 39, will be closed.

The green light indicates that contact member 28 is in engagement withsegmental plate21 and that circuit 1 is closed. The white light aloneindicates that contact member 28 is in neutral, or inoperative, positionand the switch functioning properly. The red light and the bell indicatetrouble. 'The circulating pump, in co-operation with overflow pi e 10,maintains a constant circulation of acid between the mixing tank and themercerizing vat, the acid solution in the mercerizing vat beingmaintained at a constant level by the overflow pipe. The

acid feed pipe 4 and overflow pipe 10 preferably enter the mixing tankat adjacent points in order that the strong acid coming from the storagetank and the weak acid coming from the mercerizing vat may be at onceintermingled.

The air pipe preferably enters the mixing tank at a point below thedischarge ends of pipes 4 and 10 in order that the agitation of thecontents may be most effective where the strong and the weak acidstreams meet.

In the normal operation of the device,

when the strength of the acid solution in the mixing tank fallsmaterially below the de sired strength, the controlling device,influenced by the conductivity cell, operates to impartmovement to rockshaft 17 and thereby to disk 19 which moves rotatably to bring plate 22into contact with member 28 which closes a circuit by which valve 29 isopened and strong acid discharged into the mixing tank. When thestrength of the acid solution in the mixing tank rises to apredetermined limit, the rotary movement of disk 19 1s reversed and thecircuit broken thereby closing valve 29 and stopping the'inflow of hquldfrom the storage tank to the mixing tank. If, for any reason the switchor the valve fails to function and the strength of the acid in themixing tank risesabove or falls below the normal limits, disk 19continues to rotate until one end of segmental plate 23 is moved intoengagement with contact member 28, the alarm circuit is closed bell 40caused to ring and the red signal lamp lighted thereby summoning anattendant.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it willbe understood that the various parts of my invention may be changedwithout departing from the s irit thereof, and hence I do not limit mysef to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come.

within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what "I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1,. Acid strength controlling apparatus in-2. Acid strength controlling apparatus in-' cluding a feed-controllingvalve; an electric circuit whereby the valve may be actuated;

a rock shaft; a disk of non-conducting material loosely mounted thereon;a segmental plate of conducting material carried by the disk; aconducting ,member. engaging the disk, normally out of contact with thesegmental plate, and adapted when the segmental plate is moved intocontact therewith to close the valve circuit, and a member fixed to therock shaft adapted to impart movement to the disk to move the segmentalplate into or out of contact with the conducting'member to make or breakthe valve circuit.

3. Acid strength controlling apparatus including a feed-controllingvalve; an. electric circuit whereby the valve may be actuated; a rockshaft; a disk of'non-conducting material loosely mounted thereon; amember fixed to the rock shaft; a segmental late of conducting materialcarried by the disk; a conducting member in the valve circuit, eng g thedisk and normally out of contact with the segmental plate, and coactingelements on the fixed member and the disk whereby the fixed member mayimpart movement-to the disk to move a segmental plate in or out ofcontact with the conducting member thereby closing or opening the valvecircuit.

4. Acid strength controlling apparatus including a feed-controllingvalve; an electric circuit wherebv the valve may be actuated; a rockshaft; a disk of non-conducting material loosely mounted thereon; amember fixed tothe rock shaft; a segmental plate of conducting materialcarried by the disk and a conductin member in the valve cireuit engagingt e disk, but normally out.

strength of the acid in the mixing rock shaft; a disk of non-conductingmaterial loosely mounted upon the shaft; a

segmental plate of conducting material carried by the disk; electricalconnections between the segmental plate and the feed-controlling valve,and a conducting member ongagm the disk and adapted, when the segmentaplate is moved into contact therewith, to close an electric circuitthrough the feed controlling valve and open the valve.

6. In acid strength controlling mechanism including a feed-controllingvalve and means whereby the valve will be opened as the strength of theacid decreases, and closed as the strength of'the acid increases, asafet device comprisin' a signal device; a roc shaft; a disk 0non-conducting material loosely mounted upon the shaft; a segmentalplateof conducting material carried by the disk; electrical connectionsbetween the segmental plate and the signal device, and a conductingmember engaging the disk and adapted, when the segmental plate is movedinto contact therewith, to close an electric circuit through the signaldevice and actuate the signal."

7. cid strength controlling apparatus ineluding a solenoid; a feedvalve; a lever connected with the armature of the solenoid and with thevalve; a counterweight on the lever adapted to neutralize the pressureof the incommg acid, and connections between the controlling device andthe solenoid whereby the valve will be opened as the tank decreases andclosed when the acid reaches a predetermined strength.

8. Acid strength controlling mechanism including an acidfeed-controlling valve; 8.

signal'device; a rock shaft; a disk of nonconductmg materlal looselymounted upon the shaft; segmental plates of conduct material carried bythe disk and space ,valve, and, when the other contact plate is movedinto contact therewith, to close a circuit through the signal device.

9. Acid strength controlling apparatus including a feedrcontrollingvalve; an electric circuit whereby the valve may be actuated;

a stora e tank' a mixin tanka rock shaft a disk of non-conductlngmaterial loosely mounted thereon; a member fixed to the rock shaft andadapted to impart movement to the disk; a segmental plate of conductingmaterial carried by the disk; a conductin member engaging with the diskand adapte when the segmental plate is moved into contact therewith, toclose thevalve actuating circuit; a conductivity cell in the mixmg tank,and means, controlled by the conductivity cell, for imparting movementto the rock shaft.

10. Acid strength controlling apparatus including a feed-controllinvalve; an alarm signal; electric circuits whereby the feed valve and thealarm circuit may be actuated; a rock shaft a disk of non-conductingmaterial loosely 'monnted thereon; segmental plates of conductingmaterial carried by the disk and spaced from each other; a conductingmember engaging the disk, normall out of contact with the plates andadapte when one of the segments is moved into contact therewith, toclose the valve actuating circuit and, when the other plate is movedinto contact therewith, to close the alarm circuit, and means on therock shaft to actuate the disk to make and break the contact. I

11. Acid strength controlling apparatus including a feed-controllingvalve; a visible alarm signal; an audible alarm signal; an electriccircuit adapted to actuate'the valve; an electric circuit adapted toactuate the alarm signals; a rock shaft; a disk of nonconductingmaterial loosely mounted thereon; segmental plates of conduct-inmaterial carried by the disk and spaced rom each other; a conductingmember engaging the disk, normally out of contact with the plates andadapted, when one of the plates is moved into contact therewith, toclose the valve actuating circuit and, when the other plate is movedinto contact therewith, to close the alarm circuit, and means on therock shaft to actuate the disk to make and break the contact.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK H. OLDEN.

